


Contracted

by Vehyn



Series: Contracted [1]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Magic, Multi, Pirates, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-15
Updated: 2018-10-14
Packaged: 2018-10-31 23:24:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10909596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vehyn/pseuds/Vehyn
Summary: Times were rough when Lords sold their daughters for money and power. A contract was none negotiable once both parties signed. So what happens when Lucy finds herself amongst a group that will do anything for their beliefs? LaLu and other couples. Half AU





	1. Wounds from the Past

"Oi. Blondie." A gruff voice brought her back to the waking world and she looked up, wincing when her cold dress pressed against her skin, "'Bout time you woke up."

The man before her was tall, extremely muscular and had shocking blue eyes. But before she could bite her tongue, she spoke up, her frustration getting the better of her, "You're blonde too you know."

His eyes narrowed and she looked away, pink tinting her cheeks. She was with a rather power looking man and she was talking back to him. She knew from experience that it never ended well for her.

"Listen here Blondie." His hand fisted in her hair and forced her to look at him, "I have questions for you and you will answer them. Got it?"

She tried to nod, but his hand stopped her from moving so she licked her lips, "Yes."

"Good. Now look here. My name is Laxus Dreyer. I'm captain of this ship and the crew answers to me. Which means you better stay on my good side... or else." She paled, brown eyes wide in understanding, "At least you can listen well enough."

She flushed, biting down on her tongue, the sharp tang of blood stopping her from lashing out again. He took her silence as obedience and removed his hand from her hair, moving to lean against the bars on her cell.

"Fairy Tail don't take kindly to demands, as you can already tell, considering your down here and not in one of the crews' bed." He chuckled as she gagged, a sinister smirk on his face, "Who are you? You're not from a whore house considering your dress is… was made of the good stuff and you're too well-groomed to be sleeping with all the scum in the slums." He crossed his arms, glaring at her, "Tell me your name?"

She looked away, worrying her lip before she answered, "Lucy." She hesitated on her last name and flinched when he growled, "My name is Lucy Heartfilia. Heiress to the Heartfilia Conglomerate."

Laxus felt his eyes widen, staring at the sorry state of the missing Heiress, "You know you've got a reward on your head that could have everyone on my crew live comfortably for the rest of their lives." He huffed, pressing off the wall to approach her, "What makes you think that I won't just hand you over for the reward."

Her cheeks puffed in anger and Lucy turned to glare at him, "You can try. My father is not a forgiving or honest man. Unless I stay in the mansion you won't get your payment." She pressed into the wall, "Besides, nothing you do will make me go back."

"You wanna test that theory?" Laxus growled low in his chest as he crouched down in front of her, his hand reaching out to grab her. She choked on a cry as she flinched away, her hair falling away from her neck and making him freeze. Bite marks littered her skin, a line of bruises crisscrossing her throat. He watched as she swallowed, the skin on her neck straining against her injuries.

"Who... did that do you?" His fingers caressed her skin, tenderly checking for the extent of her wounds.

"Phantom..." A tear dropped on his hand and he felt the guilt build in his stomach, "My father hired Phantom to get me home. He wanted me to marry to marry to expand his control. They tracked me down, but they had no intention of returning me. They just wanted money. When they realised not even Black Steel Gajeel bothered me they moved onto more... invasive methods. They stopped only when I said it would make me less valuable..."

Laxus sat back on his heels, staring at the woman in shock. To have gone against Black Steel Gajeel was no easy task. Especially when she was obviously beaten by him, "How do I know this isn't some elaborate lie because you just wanted to run away from home?"

She glared at him, "If you untie my hands I'd be happy to show you the proof."

They stared at each other, neither wanting to give in first. But Laxus sighed and leant over her, feeling her tense against his chest as he undid the bindings before moving back. Before he could react she stood up, back ramrod straight as she stared down at him. Her eyes were glazed, hands fisted at her sides as she shook. The red in her face could be easily seen as she looked away before burying her hands in her torn skirt. She bunched it in her hands, revealing more and more of her dirty leg.

He was about to stop her, uncomfortable with her being so close to revealing herself completely when she turned her leg to show him the angry, marred flesh on the inside of her thigh. The blood still stained the surrounding skin which was crudely torn into the rough mark those that she had fled from. He traced the mark with his eyes, taking in the horrible wound in disbelief. The cirlce at the top was a stab wound, no doubt inflicted by Gajeel himself. And the rest of the shape was carved into her skin with some type of crude weapon obviously not meant for cutting.

Laxus nearly gagged at the smell of infection seeping from the brand and he moved away, standing from his place on the ground as she lowered her skirt.

"Is that proof enough?" Lucy choked back a sob, refusing to meet his gaze. She didn't look up when she heard the door to her cell open and close. She didn't even breath until his footsteps faded up the stairs that led out of the ship's lower deck.

She slumped against the wall, her hands buried in her hair as she cried. Despair was all she felt and the horrible emptiness in her chest was nearly suffocating. There was no escaping this time.

Countless hours went by before she moved, her head heavy as the boat rocked sharply. A muffled explosion and yelled reached her and she tensed.

"This is it..." She sighed, head thumping against the damp wall. But before she could dwell on the thought when she heard running, multiple feet slamming against the wood of the floor above. The door to the lower levels of the ship, the level she was on, smashed open and a booming voice echoed down to her.


	2. Burning Fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah! I feel terrible! If you read Made for Him you'll know I said there that I forget I have an Ao3 Account. I always had Fanfiction as my go to for updating. I feel terrible. So as an apology I will have another update at the end of the week!

A blast of heat shocked her from her sleep. She bolted up from her place on the floor, fear pumping through her veins. The intensity heat chased away the chill that had clung to her and left her sweating.

Red painted the stairs and Lucy squinted, trying her best to see through the smoke that filtered through the ship. Muffled booms echoed, and she hit the floor, leg aching as she jostled her wounds.

"What the hell?" She bit back a gasp as the ship rocked violently, sending her straight into the bars of her cell before it straightened, slamming her back into the floor once more, "That hurt..."

Her thigh felt warmer than normal and she cursed under her breath as she pressed against wound through her skirt. Her hand came away hot and wet, bright red staining her porcelain skin. She couldn't help but grimace at the sign of her infection, the acrid smell burning her nose.

"This way! Hurry up!" Voices that she didn't recognised yelled out from the floor above her, and Lucy backpedalled until her back hit the wall furthest from the entrance, "She's down here!"

She could feel her heart drop as she pressed herself into the corner. Her pulse thundered through her chest as people stomped down the stairs, flaming wood flying as figures descended through the haze. The smoke was quickly filling the lower levels of the ship, making her eyes water from the sting.

"Here." A feminine voice carried itself across an invisible wind, it's gentle and caring tone washing over the blonde.

"Who..." Lucy cough, licking her dry lips, "Who's there?"

Out of the haze stepped a small blue haired girl, a white cat floating behind her, "We're friends. We promise. Laxus would have come himself but he's tied up."

The little girl stepped aside as a pale skinned male stepped forward, his shirt missing and hair askew, "Just relax. The ship got attacked and he sent us to get you out." The man groan as the key refused to enter the lock and he huffed, his hand encasing the mechanism. It cracked and a blast of cold air blew across the room and just like that, the door swung open.

 "Move. Wendy. You have to move." The white cat spoke and Lucy felt like her world had been turned upside down.

"Right. Sorry Carla. Loke!" Another set of feet appeared from out of the smoke and Lucy felt something inside her twist.

"Of course." A man with orange hair and blue glasses stepped into the cell, passing the young girl and the shirtless man, "Come now Princess. You need to get out of here."

The man approached, arms out and a dashing smile on his face but Lucy wasn’t having any of it, "Stay back!" She stood on shaky legs, her back arched as she tried to protect her already battered body, "I don't know you. You're strange. Yet you're familiar. I'm not going anywhere till I find out what's going on."

The man that had broken the lock scoffed, turning his back on them, "Not my problem. Burn here for all I care. But if you get hurt before Laxus can return you, it'll be my head on the block. So you don't really have a say in what happens anyway."

"Then I'll definitely not be going with you." Her attitude had finally reared its ugly head without the presence of the captain, and she wouldn't hesitate to fight her way through them to get away.

"Lucy... Um..." The little girl fidgeted, worrying the hem of her dress as she looked away, "I was made aware that you were injured by Phantom. And I would heal you now but we don't have the time. So please, let us help you?"

Lucy felt her heart melt at the sight of the bluenette, the genuine kindness getting under her skin almost as easily as Gajeel's blades had.

"Come on Princess. We don't have much time before Natsu just sets the whole ship on fire. I promise, we'll explain everything after we escape." Something inside her shifted, her very soul memorising his words and burning them into her brain.

She hesitated, hand shaking as she stretched for him. But the ship rocked again, sending her flying into his chest. His arms wrapped around her and warmth bubbled in her chest, the familiarity blooming along with the recognition, "You're... you-"

Loke placed a slender finger against her lips and winked, lifting her up bridal style as he turned and left her cage, "Time for answers will come later." Was all he said as he took the stairs two at a time.

The smoke was thicker at the top of the stairs and Lucy coughed, covering her mouth as well as she could. Loke stooped down, holding his damsel as close to the floor as possible. Sweat almost instantly clung to him. Swearing and fighting could be heard through the haze, doing nothing to help Lucy’s nerves.

She felt her heart drop in her chest when Loke stopped suddenly, his heels digging in to the wood, arms tightening around her painfully. A moment later, a solid beam of metal slammed through the side of the ship, crashing straight through it and obliterating everything in its path. An icy claw of fear dug itself into her heart as she struggled, trying to distance herself from the ginger haired man.

"Let go. Let me go!" Her voice came out as a whimper, her lungs filling with smoke. Violent coughs wracked her abused body, "You... need to let... me go."

Her wheeze did little to convince the man holding her and she couldn't hold in the moan when he re-adjusted his hold on her.

"Sorry Princess. But I won't put you down until you're safe." Loke ran the other way, barrelling through a group of people dressed in black and purple tunics and pants, "Especially with these assholes around."

Pain stung the back of her eyes and she choked, the tears rolling down her cheeks. The dread the pulled on her was dragging her back into the darkness of her mind and she fought to hold on to her consciousness with everything she had.

"That's her! Get them!" Loke turned to look over his shoulder to see the men they had run past were giving chase.

"Gray!" The shirtless man smirked before turning to face the thugs, arms together at his side.

"Leave them to me!"

Lucy gasped, trying to avoid choking on more smoke, "No! What is he doing? He doesn't-"

"Ice make: Lance!" The tingling in her scalp alerted her to what she already expected.

"Magic... You all use magic..." Her whisper sent a shiver down Loke's spine.

With a roar, Loke leapt through a wall of flames, the embers stinging their skin as they went. He kept going, legs pumping as he vaulted up the stairs.

The fresh air was sweet medicine to their lungs and the cold sea breeze refreshing. But despite it all, Lucy had to bite back a scream, her body reduced to a shivering mess as she looked across the deck.

A man with flaming fists was versing her previous caretaker.

Gajeel of Phantom.

"Loke! What the hell-" Laxus, face filled with rage, paused in his approached, fists flying as he took out a group of sailors that tried to attack him. With a shrug, he settled his glare back on the ginger haired male, "As I was saying, what the _fuc_ ' are you doing with her?"

Loke shifted, placing Lucy gently behind him, "I had to grab her. Natsu set the lower decks on fire... Besides, I have higher orders to keep her safe."

Laxus glared, his gaze piercing, "And where would those orders have come from?"

Loke hesitated, bouncing from one foot to the other, "From the King. _My king_."

For a split second, time stood still, silence ensuing as the blondes digested his words. But then they heard the laugh; the manic, blood thirsty voice echoing in their ears.

"I got ya little bunny. Time to stop running." Lucy screamed, scrambling away from Loke. Gajeel smirked at her, hands on his hips, ignoring the ship’s captain and the ginger haired male.

"Princess!" Loke yelled, panic drenched his voice and Lucy hesitated, barely taking her eyes away from Gajeel.

"I won't go back! Not to Phantom. Not to my father! _I won't_!" She screamed, tears streaming down her face, her throat raw from the smoke she had inhaled earlier. She still felt the fire in her lungs and the vice on her heart. Fear made her blind, and she wished it could take away the image of Gajeels’ face away from her.

"Lucy. Please don't!" Loke pleaded, his eyes begging for her to listen to him. But before he could continue, a steel fist collided with his face, sending him flying.

"Don't get any smart ideas bunny. I'll be taking you back!" Gajeel lunged, and Lucy screamed before turning and running. Lucy leapt, the wind stinging her face and her lungs straining for air. The last thing she heard before she hit the water was Laxus' yell her name.


	3. Burning Fear

The cold was biting and her lungs burned. Anger at her foolishness ached in her chest as she kicked, legs tangled in the tatters of her dress. Even under water she could hear the sound of something heavy drop into the water near here. But her limps were heavy, the salt water stinging the wound on her leg. Her lungs gave up the battle and she could only watch as the air escaped her, throat working on autopilot to get air, only to swallow mouthful after mouthful of water.

She convulsed, fighting her body, trying to avoid taking in more water. Her senses blurred, the cold numbing her outside while her insides burned. Something slammed into her back, the last remnants of her oxygen leaving her. 

Dots spotted her vision, begging her to give in when her head broke the surface. Her body instantly reacted, body curling with the force of her coughing. Tears burned her cheeks, bleary eyes barely taking in the white tunic in front of her eyes.

"Damn it Blondie!" A solid arm banded around her stomach as she could vaguely feel herself moving, water cradling her skin. Icy rivets flowed down her neck and shocked her.

She gasped, taking in large amounts of air, adrenalin taking hold and shaking away the shackles of unconsciousness. 

"Easy! Hey!" Almost immediately she was pushed back, her chest instantly cold again, "Calm down."

Brown clashed with blue and Lucy felt her breath catch. HIs heat pierced through her, the intensity of his gaze lighting her on fire. Everything slowed down around them, the magic in the air dancing around the pair. 

"look out!" The shout drew the pairs attention and they looked up. Laxus kicked, propelling them away from where Gajeel had aimed for. A giant rod of metal slammed into the water, creating waves that smashed into them relentlessly, "Laxus!"

"Damn it! I can't use my magic." He growled, holding tight onto Lucy. But it seemed Lucy did all the effort for him. She wrapped herself around him in a white knuckled grip, her thighs squeezing his waist tight.

"Please don't let me go." Lucy blinked away tears, lungs clenching at the thought of sinking in the water, "I can't swim."

His head snapped to look at her, eyes wide with disbelief, "You can't swim?"

Lucy shook her head before looking up, a scream leaving her lips. The metal beam slammed straight between them, a sickening snap echoing through their ears. Their eyes connect moments before they sunk beneath the waves. Pain radiated through the captain’s arm, red tinting the water around him. But despite it, he desperately searched for Lucy under water, ignoring the sting of the salt. 

He didn’t have to look for long though, a bright light suddenly glowing from somewhere below him. The current picked up and a whirlpool sucked him in, dragging him further into the depths of the sea and no matter how hard he kicked, he couldn't get any closer to the surface. But when he finally slowed, he realised he could actually breath and was shocked when he felt something tap his shoulder. 

A shout left him, air bubbles flying from his mouth.

"Relax. I think this belongs to you." A woman with blue hair floated before him, her tail swishing back and forth to keep her level with him. Lucy, who had been held under the mermaid’s arm, was suddenly shoved at him and he barely managed to grab her, holding her unconscious form to his chest, "And tell her to get a boyfriend already. It might get her father off her back."

The mermaid swam up, the current dragging him and the unconscious woman with her. The surface approached quickly and Laxus tensed, doing his best to shield the blonde woman. The oxygen burned in his lungs, greedily taking in as much as he could.

They broke the surface of the water quickly, the air cold and biting. Laxus gasped for the air his body had lacked, the strange magic that had taken hold of him vanishing and leaving him to cough up the salt water in his lungs. But what worried him most was how limp Lucy was in his arms. He struggled to get her head on his shoulder, head tilted so that the water could escape her. 

His arm throbbed, and he had to grit his teeth as he held on to her, “Something isn’t right here. Who the hell are you?” He choked when a wave slammed into his face, the water around him churning.

“Watch that mouth of yours boy.” The mermaid glared at him, an urn in her arms glowing gold, “And as for what’s going on, you can ask her once you get to shore.”

“Shore? We’re in the middle of the ocean-“ His words were cut short as the swell picked up, collecting him, Lucy, and the other crew members that were in the ocean too.

The mermaid gave a shout and placed the urn on her shoulder, “Have a safe trip!”

The smirk on the mermaid’s face was the last thing he saw before the water swallowed him whole. The current pulled him through the ocean, salt stinging his eyes as he kept a tight hold on the blonde in his arms. His ears couldn’t hear past the dull roar of rushing water, and his heart skipped a beat when the echo of Lucys heart rate slowed.

His only thoughts were to break the surface, his lungs burning with the effort to hold on to the last bit of oxygen. Despite his efforts however, the current slammed him into a sand bank, the force driving the air from his lungs. Everything went numb when his arms dragged through the sand, pain taking control and he could feel his grip on Lucy slip. The blonde women was swept up in the current, but her couldn’t do a thing to get to her.

A flash of light drew his attention and he squinted to see through the murky water. A great rush of bubbles swarmed him, cocooning him. Slim arms circled his waist and he moved, his body cradled by the person saving him. If he had the strength, he would have cursed himself for being so weak. 

It took an eternity to hit the shore the mermaid had told them about, the water somehow allowing him to breath. The air was sweet when his face broke the surface, the light on the horizon blinding. They had drifted through the ocean for a whole night.

“What?” His throat was raw from inhaling the water, his body sluggish from fatigue and pain, “Where are we now?”

His vision was filled with the sight of small feet and a voice to familiar to ignore, “It’s about time you came him. Makarov will be happy.”

Laxus groaned, biting down on the inside of his cheek when he saw the awkward angle his arm was bent at. Bile rose in his throat and it was only the gentle hands on his back the kept his dinner down. 

“As for you Miss Heartfilia, I think you need to rest.” And just like that, the hands on his back slipped off and Lucy fell to the sand beside him, sweat and salt water clinging to her, a single golden key resting on her chest.

“What was that?” Laxus couldn’t wrap his head around it, the woman they had rescued (kidnapped) had somehow saved them by the looks of it. But it didn’t make sense to his tired mind. 

“That is something for another time. I think you should get some rest too Laxus. Wendy will tend to your wounds in the meantime and then we can all get our answers.”

Laxus scoffed, his vision spotting as he looked up at the girl smiling at him, “Whatever Mavis. I wasn’t planning on doing anything else.” 

And just like that, his body gave in and he knew no more.


	4. Fire at Their Feet

_"Don't touch me!" She screamed as he twisted his hand in her hair, pulling her roughly from the dirty floor._

_"Shut up girlie. This is your fault. Bad girls need to be punished." His voice sliced through her like a knife and she struggled more, ignoring the warmth that trickled down her face. It was only when his foot connected with her stomach that she stopped, her chest seizing as her throat struggled to take in air, "I said **enough** damn it. I knew blondes were dumb but you're a whole other level! Rich bitch."_

_He spat at her before throwing her against the wall, a metal pole flying out to catch her under her arm and stopping her descent to the floor._

_"Ah. Gajeel. I see our charge is awake."_

_"Ge he. I figured I could at least get her ready for you." Gajeel smirked as he approached the blonde woman, laughing at the way she wheezed in pain despite the fierce determination in her eyes, "Though I haven't had my fill of fun yet."_

_"Now, now Gajeel. All in good time my friend." The man that had entered the cell stroked his beard as he approached, his eyes glinting in the dim light, "Isn't that right, my dear, sweet Lucy?"_

_Lucy just glared, hissing in pain when she tried to move away. Her arm had been pinned to the wall at a height that her already abused body couldn’t handle, and any movement pulled at her muscles and wounds._

_“No need to be so uncivilised. It truly does pain us to have to treat us this way. But we simply need you to be obedient. Why can’t you understand that?” He cradled her free hand, his eyes glinting in the light of the lantern overhead, “You should be a good little girl and listen when we tell you to do something.”_

_“I will not help you! Not even if my life depended on it! I won’t be some tool in your power game!” She yelled, smacking him across the face. Her nails dug in, tearing through his flesh with ease, leaving three bleeding mark across his cheeks and nose._

_“You filthy bitch!” He screamed as he cupped his bloody head, his eyes wild with pain and rage._

_Lucy smirked, shaking out her hand and spraying blood across her already dirty dress, “Bite me.” Her words were immediately followed by her scream and her vision was lost in the blinding pain that took over her senses. Pain radiated from her leg and she heaved, struggling to draw breath once she took in the sight of her leg._

_“I wouldn’t bite you. But a trap will do.” Gajeel chuckled as he ripped his arm backwards, yanking the trap, her legs and, evidently, herself, off the wall on towards to floor._

_She bit her tongue to stop from screaming out once the metal detached from her leg, the metallic taste keeping her conscious long enough to glare at him, “Fuck you.”_

_“Lady like you shouldn’t say words like that.” And the last thing she saw was his metal fist fly towards her head.”_

Her scream woke her and she bolted upright, her chest heaving. Blood pounded through her veins, her hands flying to her legs to make sure it was still attached, the memory of the pain enough to make her wish she were still asleep.

 “Lucy! Lucy! Calm down.” A head of blue was suddenly in front of her and she blinked, her breath stalling for a moment as she collected herself.

 “We-Wendy?” Her throat was raw and she had to wonder just how much she had screamed in her sleep. The memories that haunted her a constant reminder of just what she had endured and what she was trying to escape from.

 “Yes. It’s me. You’ve been unconscious for a while. Your magic levels were incredibly low, so I’m really not surprised.” A gentle blush covered the young girl’s cheeks when Lucy rest her hand on Wendy’s head.

 “You’ve been taking care of me this whole time?” Lucy looked around the room, noticing it was just a small hut with a thatch roof and rotten window shutters.

 “Yes. I’m the medic. It’s my job.” Wendy smiled up at the blonde, “I also had to change your clothes, but a maid with pink hair popped up and dropped some things off for you.”

 The words caused Lucy’s eyes to go wide and she swung her legs off the edge of the bed. She was covered in a coral barmaid blouse, completed by the off-shoulder sleeves. It exposed her belly and revealed the brown trousers she had been dressed in. It was all finished off with a thick leather belt and a matching whip, “Virgo…” She tenderly traced the handle of the whip, her mind racing, “Where did she go?”

 Wendy jumped at the question, shuffling backwards as Lucy stood from the bed, “I don’t know. She popped into existence and straight back out in a cloud of smoke. We couldn’t even get an answer out of her before she vanished on us.”

 “That’s Virgo for you.” Lucy sighed and stared out the window, watching as people she didn’t recognise roamed around the ruined village, “Where are we anyway?”

 Wendy giggled before grabbing Lucy by the arm and pulling her along, “Come and see. We’re on Tenrou Island! This is the original home of Fairy Tail! This is where our First Master is from.”

 Lucy gasped when they got outside, using her free hand to cover her eyes from the bright sun.

Everything was glistening, chunks of ice randomly placed about with people occasionally going to chip some of it for a drink or to cook their skin.  The one responsible for the ice sat in nothing but his pants, a woman in a blue dress standing over him making it rain, dampening the patch around them. It seemed that her appearance had disturbed the crew however and the pair looked over, the rain sputtering for a second.

 “Lucy. It’s great to see you up.” Gray stood up and shook out his pants, ignoring the way the water dripped down his chest as he approached the blonde. His hand landed gently on top of her head and gave it a gentle pat, “From what Wendy said, I think we have you to thank for saving us.”

 Lucy’s cheeks warmed, looking away from the unfamiliar man before her, “I wouldn’t say I saved you. It’s my fault you could have all died on the ship.”

 “Juvia thinks you’re wrong.” Lucy’s head snapped up to see the blue haired woman approach her, “Juvia thinks you saved us. But it was not your fault we were attacked. Fairy Tail and Phantom have had issues for many months. You were just another reason to fight them.” Juvia smiled warming at her and Lucy gaped at her.

 “But… They destroyed your ship. They hurt your crew. And you don’t even know me.” Lucy could feel the disbelief in her turn to rage, “You’d have to be insane to help someone like me.”

 “Well then you’ll just have to call us crazy Luigi.” An arm wrapped around her her shoulders and pulled her into a one-sided hug.

 “My name is Lucy! Not Luigi!” She pushed away, about to continue yelling when she saw a pink haired man grinning at her, “You have pink hair…”

 The man huffed and crossed his arms, “It’s salmon thank you very much. And I’m Natsu!”

 “Aye!” The shout came from behind him and a blue cat popped his head up, “And I’m Happy!”

Lucy blinked at them, unable to process the strange events that had already transpired.

 “And we’re a little crazy. But as long as you aren’t our enemy, you’re our friend. So of course we’d help you. And besides, that ship wasn’t ours.” Natsu placed his hands behind his head, still grinning at her while sharing a look with Gray.

 “What do you mean it wasn’t yours? Whose was it?” Lucy crossed her arms, not sure what to do with herself.

 “Don’t know.” She bulked at his answer, the words falling from her mouth in a rush.

 “What do you mean you don’t know?” Her shriek drew the attention of some of the closer crew members and she blushed, ducking her head. She hadn’t even know the people more than a few minutes and she was already reprimanding them.

 “We were forced to steal a ship in our escape of the port. Phantom were too close and we needed to leave as quickly as possible. Natsu and Gray destroyed our last ship.” The voice sent shivers down Lucy’s spine and she hesitated to turn around, scared by the look of fear on Natsu and Grays’ faces, “We apologise. We don’t usually condone breaking the law. It was my idea, please hit me as punishment.”

 Lucy spun around to see a red head with bowing, her head bent. “No way. No! I wouldn’t hit you. Ah, please get up.” Lucy waved her hands around, unsure where to touch the woman, “I think we started on a weird, wrong foot… kinda thing. I’m Lucy.”

 The red head straightened and Lucy was in awe of her beauty, “I am Erza Scarlet. First Mate to Captain Laxus. I would like to thank you on behalf of the crew for saving us.”

 Again, the blonde sputtered, “I didn’t save you. I mean, I didn’t mean to, not that I wouldn’t have, that is… Uh. Hi.” A roar of laughter erupted from behind her and she turned to see Natsu and Gray on the ground from their giggles.

 “Nonsense Lucy. We all saw you once you got to shore. And Loke’s been really worried about you too.” The name snapped her out of her confusion over the morning and she gave Erza a hard stare.

“Where is he?” Her voice was sharp and the others went silent behind her.

 Erza blinked before pointing towards a large building down the path towards the centre of the island, “He’s with the First Master and Master Makarov in the Library. Why do you wa- Wait!”

 No one had time to react when Lucy took off running, her slim feet kicking up sand as she went. Each step thudded dully against the ground, her heart racing as she approached the building. The warmth she had felt when he had held her welled up again in her chest and it drove her forward. She ignored the calls that followed her, focused only on reaching the man that could give her the answers that she needed. Before long she barrelled through the open doorway of the library, the derelict ruins putting a halt to her thoughts.

 Shelves were skewed and broken, holding books that were no longer legible. Tables and chairs were scattered about, moth eaten cloths doing little to protect them from the wear of time.

 “What in the world…” Lucy stepped carefully through the room, shivering when a cold breeze passed her.

 “Princess. Welcome.” Loke’s voice pierced the darkness and he appeared from the shadows of the room, a young woman and old man with him.

 “Loke? Right?” Lucy watched him nod before he pointed to the people at his side.

 “That’s correct. And these are the Masters of Fairy Tail. First Master Mavis Vermillion and the current Master Makarov. His grandson Laxus technically runs the guild, but everything still needs final approval.

 “Wonderful to finally meet you Lucy.” The young blonde girl smiled at Lucy, and it was then that her image shifted momentarily.

 “Wait… Are you…” Lucy couldn’t find it in herself to finish the sentence, the absurdity of it stopping her.

“Dead? Why yes, I am. And because you are on Tenrou, you can see me. But if you were not here, you wouldn’t know I was there. Unless you have a guild mark that is.” Mavis giggled before approaching, “And I know you have a lot of questions for us. As so do we have them for you. But first, I think you and Loke have a few things to clear up.”

 Mavis stepped aside to allow the ginger haired man to kneel down, his hands on his knee, “Lucy… I don’t know were to begin. Other than confirm your suspicions from the ship.” He took a deep breath before looking up at her, his eyes piercing into hers, “I am a celestial spirit. A fact known only to the Masters and Laxus. I was sent her to find you by my King. The _Celestial_ Spirit King.”

 “The King?” She gasped, her hands twisting in the fabric of her pants, “What would he want with me?”

 “He wants what he wanted from your mother, but when she passed, we realised that you were to grow into a far stronger mage than she was.” His words took her by surprise and she staggered backwards, bracing herself on the remains of a table.

 “That doesn’t make sense. This all doesn’t make sense. My mama left me her keys. But I’m not strong. I don’t know why he needs me.” Everything that had occurred since she’d run away weighed down on her and she wasn’t sure where to start with relieving her stresses.

 “The King hasn’t told us what he plans yet. But you are in no danger from us. Indeed, we are here to serve you.” He stood from the ground and approached her cautiously, afraid he would scare her off, “Speaking of which… we know you hold a number of our keys… So where are they?”

 His words were like a blow to her body and she crumbled, her knees slamming into the ground. Her shoulders shook, hands clasped tightly on a single golden key hanging from her neck, “I lost them. I tried to get away, and lost them. I couldn’t protect them and now Papa has them. He tried to use them to bribe me back… Why would you want to serve me when I won’t even go back from them?”

 Feeling the guilt roll from her, Loke carefully knelt down and wrapped his arms around her, “We can all feel the love that you have for your spirits. Even those of us that aren’t yours yet.”

 “Lucy dear.” The blonde sniffled as she looked up, noticing just how close Makarov had gotten, “Can you tell us how you lost them? Why you ran away from home?”

 She took a staggered breath, trying to get her emotions under controls, “I owe you all that much.”

Lucy wiggled her way out of Loke’s hold and leant down, her forehead touching the floor, “I’m so sorry for bringing all this trouble to you and your Guild Master Makarov. Master Mavis. I just-“

 A soft pat on her head had her looking up at the little man and he smiled softly down at her, “None of that Lucy. It is because of you that my children are safe on Tenrou. You have nothing to apologise for. Now get up and tell us your story.”

 She nodded her head, feeling Loke behind her and his reassuring hold on her hand. “I’ll start from the beginning. My name is Lucy Heartfillia. Heiress to the Heartfillia conglomerate and Lady of the Family since my mother passed. As you know, marriage in such a family is rarely done out of love or affection. And my father has manipulated that for his own power gain. He tried to have me contracted to a man called Everlue. He’s a disgusting man, but he wanted my keys and agreed to fund my fathers work in exchange for my hand – all so he could get them. During one of their discussions, he revealed that he had Virgo’s key. When he wasn’t paying attention, I snatch it and ran. It was in that pursuit in which I had to leave my keys behind.” Lucy let out a wary sigh, “The little details don’t matter. But my father hired Phantom to get me back for a few, but they had to be able to keep me in the manor till the contract could be signed. They failed twice so far, and now it seems for a third thanks to you all.”

 “So you did all that so that Everlue wouldn’t get your keys?” Mavis seemed deep in thought as she processed Lucy’s words.

“Yes. And I also refused to be part of my fathers schemes. But I never thought he would allow Phantom to do what they’ve done…” Lucy shivered, pressing a hand to her thigh, feeling the scar through her pants.

“From what Virgo has told me, Everlue is a horrible person, and has done horrible things to get his way. I wouldn’t be surprised if your father didn’t know what Phantom were capable of and that it was Everlue that told him to go to them with a bounty.” Loke rubbed his hand up and down Lucy’s back, trying his best to support her.

“So asshole 1 and asshole 2 are in a big power game. And you’re their key to getting the big money, right?” Laxus’ voice suddenly echoed through the library and they all turned to see him in the doorway, his silhouette surrounded by other guild members. Some she recognised, and others he didn’t, “Well, why don’t we ruin their plans altogether?”

“Why would you help me?” Lucy couldn’t understand the people around her, and his offer was almost to good to be true.

“Loke spoke to me before. And it seems this Spirit King needs you. And that won’t be possible if this Everlue shitbag has your keys and does Mavis knows what to you.” At his strange words, Lucy looked at Mavis to see the dark look on the First Masters face.

“Yeah. Let’s get your friends back Lucy!” Natsu cheer broke the tension and Lucy couldn’t help but smile a teary smile.

 “Yes. Let’s get my friends back.”


	5. Contracted Part 1

Everyone was in a flurry of activity the next day and Lucy could do nothing more than watch as Wendy tried to treat her remaining wounds and demanded that she rest between treatments, knowing how much of a strain her body had already been through since she ran away from home. With a heavy sigh she reclined against the wall of her small hut. The crew had a wood mage among them and they had all worked tirelessly to build another ship under the watchful eye of Laxus and Makarov, with the First also commenting on their work every so often. 

“What’s wrong Luigi?” Natsu cheerful voice shocked her and she screamed, twisting around, her fist already flying. It was only when she connected with his face that she realised what she had done and she jumped up, leaning over the windowsill to take in the sight of the salmon hair man splayed out on the floor. 

“How did you even get in there without me seeing you?” Her voice echoed through the village and those nearby could only laugh at the blonde woman. In the day and a half that she had been introduced to them all properly, they had gotten used to her and Natsu’s’ interactions. Mainly involving bodily violence against their resident pyro. 

“I was sleeping?” His muffled words were followed by an indignant scream and Lucy huffed before striding away from her hut, hair fluttering in the breeze as she left Natsu to recover.

“Lucy!” The blonde stopped to see Gray and Juvia run up to her, both slightly out of breath and covered with water droplets, their clothes clinging to them like a second skin, “Want to come for a swim? You know, before you end up killing Natsu.” Gray asked her, a smirk on his face as Juvia rushed forward to grab the blonde woman’s hand.

“Yes. Juvia thinks you should come with us! Have some fun. Other guild members are in the surf at the moment.”

Lucy could feel her cheek twitch as she responded, “I don’t know Juvia. Wendy said I should be resting. And I don’t have a spare set of clothes anyway.” She watched as the light slowly diminished in the blunettes eyes only for it to spark back up suddenly. 

“No! You must join us. I have spare clothes for you if you need them. Come have some fun!” Juvia cheered before dragging Lucy down the sand path, the smell of salt growing stronger the closer they got to the beach. 

Lucy could only follow her new friend as she was dragged all the way up to the shore line, feeling uncomfortable being surrounded by so many people. All those she had met that day before were strolling through the water, some even daring the deeper water for a swim. Even Erza was taking a break from the work, the half build ship bobbing just off the shore in the distance. 

“Uh. I think I’ll just stay here for a bit.” Lucy dug her heels into the sand and felt Juvia’s grip loosen on her hand. It caused the other woman to pause before she turned to Gray.

“Well… if that’s what you want. Come in when you’re ready.” Gray patted her on the shoulder before following Juvia into the water, leaving the blonde in the shallows.

“You know, we don’t bite.” Lucy yelped at the sudden voice and looked to her side to see a blue eyes woman with silver hair standing next to her. A maroon dress clung to her, silver hair held up by ribbon that allowed her to look at Lucy unobscured, “I don’t think we’ve properly been introduced to each other. My name is Mirajane. But you can call me Mira.” Mira held out her hand and laughed when Lucy hesitated.

“Well I’m-“

“And you are Lucy Heartfillia. Guest Member of the Fairy Tail crew.” Mira grinned at the blonde, turning to face the water before them, “You don’t have to be scared. You may not have known us long, but you need help, and we always help people. It’s what we do.” 

Lucy stared out at the people playing in the water. She could see Wendy playing with a young boy. Loke talking with two women, a brunette and a shorter blunette. “Everyone here seems so happy.”

Mira only let out a small sigh, “Would you believe most of us are orphans?” Her words caused Lucy to gasp and the blonde rounded on her, eyes wide with disbelief, “Yes. Almost every person here doesn’t have family. Which is why Fairy Tail has become our family instead. I have my sister and brother,” Mira paused to point at two silver haired individuals with another Brunette woman and a man with blue hair, “Elfman and Lisanna are both my younger siblings. And their partners are Bixlow and Evergreen. Then you have Cana,” She pointed to the brunette talking to Gray and Juvia, “her father is one of the strongest mages in the Guild, and usually stays on the mainland of Fiore to do missions to keep our building going with funding while we’re away.”

“I thought you were pirates?” Lucy could feel a headache growing behind her eyes as she tried to remember all the names she had been told since she woke up the day before.

“Yes. It seems it. But we just utilise what we can and have a group trained on how to navigate the sea and use a ship. We’re actually based in Magnolia. We were on our way here for exams but things came up.” Mira sent Lucy a big smile before she turned and walked away, waving over her shoulder, “If you’d like, you can help me with dinner later on. I could use the help.” And with that, the friendly barmaid was gone.

“Exams?” Lost in thought, Lucy moved away from the water and found a spot under a tree to sit, “Why would they take exams?”

“You know, people are going to think you’re crazy if you keep talking to yourself.” Again, Lucy screamed at the sudden voice and she placed a hand over her pounding heart. Her other fist slammed into the sand, creating a small cloud as she glared up at the man that towered over her.

“And you people will give me a heart attack if you keep sneaking up on me.” Lucy huffed, realising her words had no effect on him.

“Well someone’s grouchy today.” She could tell he was smirking without looking at him and heard him sit down next to her, the sand crunching under his feet as he got comfortable, his arms out behind him to support his weight, “What’s got you so mad?”

She looked at him incredulously, unsure why he was being so friendly.

“Oh don’t give me that look.” Laxus sighed before he shook his head, “I know I was an ass on the ship. It’s who I am. However, I think I made it clear that we would help you. So relax, would ya?”

Lucy was silent for a moment before she looked back over the water, “I’m sorry.” Her words were mumbled and he peeked at her from the corner of his eye.

“What for?”

“I know you all said that you had issues with Phantom to begin with, but I’ve only made them worse. And now, you plan on helping me get away from my father and Everlue, as well as get my keys back, for what?”

He closed his eyes, enjoying the breeze, “That’s for me to worry about. Everything will go as it should and you’ll be free of your fathers power game.” He turned to look at her, his blue eyes fierce, “I know what it’s like being a pawn in a game. I’ll make sure you get out of yours.” 

His conviction stole her breath and she looked away, her heart racing as a brush spread across her cheeks, “You still haven’t told me what you want in return.” She tensed the second she felt his breath roll down her next, his lips so close to her ear that she could feel his heat radiate from his skin.

“You could be my reward.” His voice was low and husky, and his lips just fluttered over the shell of her ear as he spoke. Her eyes widened and she yelped, standing from her spot suddenly. 

Her face was bright red and Laxus laughed, the sound chesty and deep, unsettling her more than she already was, but she wasn’t sure if what she felt was a negative feeling. 

“Oh shut up you-“ Her mouth snapped shut as he stood as well, his tall frame dwarfing her easily. One of his hands grabbed her hip, pressing the rough fabric of her pants into her skin, and the other disappeared into her hair.

“Mmm. What were you going to say Blondie?” He lowered his face to hers, taking in the mild panic in her eyes.

“I…” She swallowed loudly, her body visibly shaking, “Get off me. Let me go!” She struggled, not caring for the painful tingling from her scalp or the way her nails jug into his chest.

It took Laxus only a moment to comprehend her words and he released her, watching as she staggered backwards and into the sunlight. Her chest heaved with her breaths and he lowered his arms to his sides, his hands fisted.

“I… Lucy?” He watched as her eyes darted everywhere, panic clear on her face. But it was the vacant stare that told him she was lost in her memories, ones his actions had brought back to the surface. 

“Just… I’m going… I’m going to help Mira.” With that, the blonde took off, racing back down the path towards the village.

“Laxus?” The man turned to see Loke jogging up to him, his face twisted with concern, “What happened?”

“I’m not too sure Loke. But I have what we need.” He hand the Spirit a few strands from his hand, “You know what to do with it.”

Loke nodded quickly before disappearing in a shower of light and glitter.

xXx Contracted xXx

It was another three days before they had the boat sailing across the sea. Wendy helped speed the boat up by controlling the wind and sending it into the sails, despite the lecture she received from Carla the whole time. Everyone on the crew had a job to do, and this time, Makarov and Mavis were on the ship with them. Despite the happy atmosphere, some singing songs to make the work easier, a heavy sense of foreboding seemed to seize Lucy’s body. 

She shivered at the sea spray that landed on her, the sun doing little to warm her as she watched the horizon. The bowsprit* let her get closer to the water than any other section on the boat and she relished the isolation it provided her. A few of the crew had yelled out to her to be careful when they had seen her stagger over the foremast but she had waved off their worry and continue her climb down to the front of the ship. Each person she had meant in Fairy Tail had invoked feelings in her that she had never felt before, and she couldn’t help but be overwhelmed. It was only when she felt her throat close up that she sensed the man behind her and she bit back a sob, scrubbing her face quickly before facing her new companion.

“Loke?” She whispered his name, taking in the way the wind played with his wild mane of orange hair, “Do you need something?” 

She shuffled her feet, his gaze piercing through her. They stood in silence for a long time, and it was only broken when Loke sighed and wrapped his arms around her, his cotton shirt rough against her skin, “Princess…. Lucy. Even I can feel your distress. Surely you must know that you aren’t alone. Even Aquarius is worried about you.” 

At his words Lucy felt the key against her bosom heat up, nearly burning her chest with its intensity. She took in a shuddering breath before pushing him away, staring up into his eyes only to see the devotion he held for her, “Why?” Her question confused him and Lucy held up a hand to holt any words he was going to speak, “You’re all so sure that you can keep me away from my father. But even if we stop Everlue… Even then, if I go back, I won’t be able to get my keys back from Father. Or save Virgo from that horrible man. I’ll be locked in my room until it’s time to sign the contract and that will be all. And if it’s a contract to Everlue… He’d do anything to get my keys…”

Something shone in Loke’s eyes that she couldn’t place and watched as the man shook his head, “We won’t let anything happen to you Lucy. I will be there for you. You still have Aquarius and myself by your side.” As he spoke, he pulled something golden from his pocket and placed it in front of her face before kneeling down on one knee, his head bent, “From this day forth Princess, I would like for you to be my Master.”

She felt the tears fall, her mouth wide open as she took in the symbol on the key. The proud lines etched the sign of Leo and her heart nearly beat out of her chest as she stuttered, her hands hovering just over the key, “But Loke… I couldn’t. I don’t want to be your master. You aren’t tools to be used. You’re all living beings. Spirit or otherwise… I-“

He placed a hand over her mouth as he stood again, placing the key in her hand and closing her fingers over it, “Even if the King didn’t tell me to look out for you, I would have done it anyway. You magic calls to us all. And you’ve treated all the other Spirits so well that they rave about you. It would be an honour to stand by your side Lucy.”

She couldn’t bite down on her sob and she crumbled into Loke’s arms, “Loke. Thank you.” Her gratitude rolled off her in waves and he tightened his hold on his new master, slowly lowering them to the wood deck. Her cries drew some of the more curious crew members over and they peered over the bannister to see the ginger haired man holding their guest. 

“What’s going on here?” Laxus’ voice rumbled down to them and Loke glanced upwards to see the blonde captain staring down at him, something hard in his gaze. He just shook his head and kissed the top of Lucy’s’ head.

“Nothing that needs to concern you Captain.” His words sounded bored and he barely paid any attention to the way Laxus yelled at people to get back to work before the mammoth of a man jumped down to them.

“Anything to do with this ship and my crew is my concern Loke.” Laxus growled, small sparks of electricity bouncing off his skin, his fur lined jacket rustling in the wind and static.

“Please…” Lucy’s words were mumbled before she pushed herself away from Loke’s chest. Her eyes were puffy and red and it made Laxus’ breath catch, “Please don’t be mad a Loke. It’s my fault.”

“Princess…” Wide eyed, the men shared a look with each other, a silent understanding going between the before Loke continued to speak, “Lucy. I am now in your hands. I answer to you first.”

“No.” The Captain knelt down to be level with them, his gaze harsh before he placed a hand on her head, “Despite Loke being a Spirit Blondie, don’t be worried about his position with us. He’ll always be family and will always be welcome here. And as long as you are with us, you and he are still part of the crew.” 

Laxus stood quickly, pulling his coat from his shoulder and dropping it over her, the fur almost like a crown upon her golden hair. There was a pause as he stretched, his cheeks slightly flushed.

“And with that said… “ He looked down at the pair, his muscles tensing as he jumped up to the level above, “Get cleaned up and go help Mira get dinner ready for the crew. You need to pull your weight around here too.”

And then he was gone.


	6. Contracted Part 2

Trepidation. The feeling of fear or anxiety about something that may happen.

It was the perfect word to describe how she felt as she saw the estate loom in the distance. One of the mages that had met them on shore had the ability to bring his paintings to life, and she was thankful for how easy it had made the trip. It allowed her to come to peace with what her immediate future held for her. It was only when a hand gently rubbed her cheek that she realised she was crying and she turned to the other occupants of the carriage.

Loke was staring at her, his gaze soft as he took in her tear stained cheeks. Laxus brooded in the corner, his eyes narrowed while he watched her out of the corner of his eye. And Erza watched her carefully, a small dagger in her hand in case they were ambushed on the way to their destination.

“Princess. Are you alright?” Loke wrapped an arm around her shoulders and ignoring the way Laxus tensed, it was only Lucy’s broken sigh that had him staying in his seat.

“I’m just… grateful for everything you’ve all done. But… also regretful…” She whispered, quickly glancing back outside, “You’ve shown me a freedom and happiness I’ve never experience. Even if it was only for a few days, it will make today that much more bearable.” She smiled softly, a heaviness in the air.

“Lucy? What do you mean?” Erza leant forward, knuckles white.

Lucy shook her head, facing the red head properly, brown clashing with brown, “I’m not naïve Erza. Everlue wants my keys. Once the contract is signed, the only way for him to get them would be for me to either hand them over or for him to kill me. And considering I wouldn’t leave any spirit in his hands willingly, once I’m his he’ll get rid of me. He’d kill me tonight if he could. But he would wait until the business plans were finalised before he did anything. Knowing my father, there would also be no chance of escape, most likely by Phantoms’ hand.” Her head dropped, resting on Loke’s shoulder, “No matter what you do, you don’t know what nobility are like and what they can and will do. My father will stop at nothing to make sure the business grows. Even if it means my-“

“You aren’t dying today. Or dying any day soon either Blondie.” Laxus huffed, resting his elbows on his knees so he could rest his head on his hands. Cobalt eyes glared back at her, “We told you we wouldn’t let anything happen to you and that we’d get your keys back. It’s as simple as that.”

Lucy let out a humourless laugh, her eyes dull, “You shouldn’t make promises like that to a Celestial Mage.” Loke’s arm tightened around her and she could feel his jaw tense as it rested atop her head.

“And you should have faith in others Lucy. For what you’ve done for the Spirits in your possession… They would do anything to protect you. And you have the power to let them do it.” His words were soft, and the cocooned her like a warm blanket.

She pressed herself closer to the spirit, her old dress hanging in tatters around her. For theatrical effect, Laxus had demanded she dress up the way she had been found and had refused to let Wendy heal her any more than removing the infection from her body. They had even gone to the effort of messing up her hair and smearing mud across her skin, even going as far as having her smack herself so that her cheek would bruise.

“Thank you Loke.” She whispered, her hands fisting in her lap.

“Enough.” Laxus grunted, leaning forward with a length of rope in his hands, “We have to tie you up. It’s gonna be tight, and it’ll hurt, but they’ll know the second we’re faking if we don’t do it properly.”

Dread pooled in her stomach and she bit her lip to stop the tears the made her eyes prick. Memories of capture and torture rushed through her head and she took in deep breaths to keep calm, doing her best to separate the present from the past. She looked at the floor the second Loke grabbed her hands and placed them behind her. Panic clawed at her throat, a whimper leaving her lips when the rope dug into her flesh. Band after band of rope were wrapped around her, immobilising her upper body, rough cords biting into her skin. Her shoulders ached with the odd angle they sat at and she knelt on the floor, hair concealing her face which had changed to a deathly pallor.

“We’re here…” Loke whispered in her ear seconds before an explosion echoed through the area, jolting their carriage and sending the poor blonde woman into the door. She groaned, allowing Erza to sit her upright again.

_“We want to see the father of Lucy Heartfillia! You have 5 minutes or we burn her alive.”_

Natsu’s voice boomed, entering their ears and shocking them with how serious he sounded. But he had already claimed Lucy as a friend, and nothing would affect him more than someone threatening someone he claimed.

Shouts sounded from the grounds surrounding the vehicle, the horses at the front of it whining and stamping their feet.

It wasn’t long before she heard the voice that gave her nightmares, “Bunny girl ain’t getting away this time Salamander!” Screeching metal and the rush of flame made Lucy shiver and she screamed when an arm banded around her upper arm and pushed her out the door. She hit the gravel road with a thud and she groaned, feeling the small pricks she received from her landing.

“That’s what you think Gajeel.” Laxus laughed while he stepped out of the carriage and heaved Lucy up and pressed her against his chest. She couldn’t hold back her tears, the pressure in her shoulder building to the point it felt like her arms were about to pop out of their sockets, “Now where is her father!”

Gajeel hesitated for only a second before Laxus whistled and Natsu shot a ball of flame towards the blondes. It landed mere millimetres from their feet and Gajeel growled, his arms returning to normal.

A distant rumble travelled through the sky and Lucy looked up, watching the dark clouds gather. The irony wasn’t lost on her either when she saw the statue for her mother to the side of the road. The grand estate sprawled out before them, the front garden trimmed to perfection and everything glistened, even on such a dark day.

Some employees had run out to see what the commotion was, and the tears fell harder when she heard them calling out to her.

“Lady Lucy!”

“Princess! Let her go you beasts!”

“Mistress!”

“Spetto… Bero… Ribbon…” She sobbed, collapsing against the beast of a man behind her and would have fallen if it wasn’t for his hold on her arms.

“Let my daughter go.” The voice resonated within her and Lucy’s eyes snapped up, brown orbs wide. Her father stood at the foot of the stairs to the garden, only a large fountain separating them. And behind him, was the rotund trash known as Everlue. There was a great contrast between the two and Lucy shivered. Her father, a proud man with broad shoulders, a permanent scowl and receding hairline, was still her father and his presence demanded authority. And then there was Everlue, the slime that made her shiver in disgust. He was the typical corrupt politician that flaunted his wealth and looked down on those he deemed ugly. Which included herself. Everything was a tool for him.

“I think you should remove your hands from my fiancé you beast. My… you’re ugly.” Laxus baulked at the man, his eyes wide at the shock of Everlue’s words.

“You’re annoying.” His answering growl was quickly followed by a bolt of lightning, but the attack was blocked by a giant of a maid in an outfit that barely fit.

“Virgo!” Lucy watched as the Spirit took the hit, barely even flinching from the blow.

The maid didn’t respond, but didn’t approach them any further, standing beside Everlue, her face grave while Everlue gushed over her, “Now this is beauty. Unlike you.”

“Everlue! You are to marry my daughter! Don’t speak to her in such a way!” Warmth flared through Lucy’s body at her father’s words until she caught sight of the scrunched up paper in his hands, “And until she signs this form that is no way to speak to her.”

_‘Until you sign me away…’_ A single tear fell and she felt Laxus tense, his entire body vibrating with his magic. It sparked through the air, arching between them and making her skin tingle.

“There won’t be any contract signing today Mr. Heartfillia.” Makarovs’ voice pierced the air, his once tiny form now giant, utilising his magic to tower over everyone, “We cannot condone the actions and crimes committed against your daughter, so we have taken it upon ourselves to free her of your control over her.”

Jude turned red, the veins in his throat and forehead prominent as he lurched forward, rage radiating through him.

“She is my daughter! I will do as I please!” Jude laughed, putting up his hand with the contract in his hand falling open. Those of the crew with them that were Dragon Slayers, or so she had been told they were, growled.

“You’re despicable.” To Lucy’s surprise it was Gajeel who spoke up and he spun on his heels, marching straight up to her. She tried to move, to get away from the man that had tortured her, but Laxus held her firmly in place. Gajeel stared down at her, watching her scream and thrash in her attempts to escape him, “Would a man that cared for his daughter at all, even if it’s just to get her back, hire a _dark guild_ to get her? Would he allow this to happen?”

Without pause Gajeel grabbed her tattered skirt and pulled, ripping the fabric easily. Only a small amount protected her modesty and her scar was visible for all to see. Few people had actually been told of what she went through and having it exposed had her face flaming with shame. More so because it was the person that had done the deed that revealed it.

“Lucy- You! You fiend! You did that to her!” Jude took another step forward, only to be held back by the staff as Natsu shot a stream of fire at him.

“Gajeel was just following orders. Orders to expose Phantom.” Makarov shrunk down and turned to Laxus, a giant grin on his face, “Now then Laxus, I think it’s time we wrapped this all up.”

The blonde man smirked, wrapping one arm around Lucys’ waist while the other came around the front of them, letting the paper he held in his hands fall open, “Blondies mine now old man. And there’s nothing you can do about it.”

His words sent the Celestial mage into shock, everything going numb when she spotted the two signatures through the paper. Her cursive was distinct next to his rough scrawl and she went weak. Her writing was unmistakable.

“Impossible!” She vaguely heard her father shouting at the crew, and arms wrapped around her waist, “Lucy! What of your keys? You know the deal we made!”

His words struck a chord in her and she struggled, rage flooding her and making her see red, “Our deal? We didn’t make a deal!”

Golden light surrounded her, brown eyes sparkling with her magic. The crew all took a step back except Loke and Laxus, the former stood firmly by his master’s side. An invisible wind picked up, blowing her hair this way and that, making her seem like a demon as she stalked forward, away from the two men. The magic kept building, transparent figures appearing behind her.

“My spirits are not _things_ to be bartered with!” Her gaze narrowed on Everlue and the man shrunk back, “Nor are any spirits simply tools to be used however you see fit.” She hissed, seething between the two parties.

“Virgo.” Lokes’ voice was level and calm, but his eyes were just as fierce as his Masters, “Everlue has committed crimes against Lucy Heartfilia. His actions have placed a Celestial Mage in danger and his future plans are a violation of a Celestial Spirits contract.”

The gorilla sized maid disappeared in a cloud of smoke and once the wind had swept it away, it revealed a short, pink haired maid, “And as such I am freed of my contract to Everlue and have the power to choose a new master.” Virgo approached, making sure she was before the blonde before she bowed, her hands extended. In one hand was a single golden key. In the other, was a brown leather pouch.

“Virgo…” The blonde woman gently took in the sight of the golden key, her eyes tracing the symbols carved into it before Virgo hugged her, placing the pouch and key in her bound hands, “We can make a contract later. I also don’t have the words to describe how grateful I am to you for getting my friends back.”

“K-keys? How the hell did you get the keys from me?” Everlue waved his hands about, his face as red as a tomato.

“Jude gave the keys to you and you didn’t want to hold them after they refused to answer to you and so you gave them to me.” Virgo smirked slightly, the show of emotion pulling at her pale skin, “So it was quite easy actually.”

Everlue started turning purple, his eyes bulging, “Y-you! And you ugly beast! Y-“

“Everlue!” Jude stamped his foot, his own face tinted red, his eyes burning holes in the politician’s head, “What do they mean about placing Lucy in danger?”

Anger instantly evaporated from Everlue’s face, eyes still wide, “Ah well… about that…”

“He was going to make her sign the contract and then kill her is what he means to say. Not that you care asshole.” Laxus chuckled, approaching the blonde woman with an air of ease to him, but even he was wary of the woman’s magic.

The sound of rocks breaking drew everyone’s attention to see a hole in the ground were Everlue had been standing. Ignoring it all, Jude stormed up to his daughter, grabbing hold of her wrist in a painful grip, jerking her tied arms painfully “Now that that’s over we have things to attend to Lucy. You’re next suitor will be here within the week-“

His own words died off when Laxus wrapped his hand around the man’s forearm, “I don’t know if you’re deaf or just plain stupid old man. But Lucy Heartfillia is officially contracted to me. You can’t lay a hand on her.”

Small sparks of magic jumped between the men, lightning singeing Jude’s suit until he let go of his daughters arm. The blonde woman shuffled behind Laxus with Virgo and Loke on either side of her.

“But… Lucy…” Jude tried to plead with his daughter, his eyes begging her to listen to him. But she just shook her head, refusing to look at the man that had put her in her position.

“No father. I won’t be a tool in your power game. I don’t care for it or the money.” Loke and Virgo wrapped their Princess in their arms and lead her away, leaving Laxus with Jude.

“Now you listen here. She is mine. Our contract is legitimate. And if you ever, _ever,_ do or plan anything that hurts her, or my guild in any way, I will come after you.”

It was a threat the haunted Jude for the rest of his life.


End file.
